nature

Nelly Nehring Minnesota Conservation Corps Member Many city dwellers dream of building a rustic cabin in the north woods. We want to escape the city and get back to nature. It is perhaps a response to the seemingly unsettled wilderness so tantalizingly close to us near the Canadian border. City …

Erin Hendel In the heart of the sprawling Twin Cities metro area, there exist many well-hidden green spaces where you can join other area residents on a full moon canoeing excursion, feed wildlife, help biologists with animal field studies, take a class on Giant Cecropia Moths, or learn about gardening …

Rebecca Wienbar As recreational activities, sports and outdoor adventures have grown in popularity, so has the market for recreational equipment. Suddenly, going for a camping trip or taking up a new sport isn’t quite so simple as it used to be – now you have to be equipped. And while …

Green Tips

Shoreview Green Community is a group of citizens from the north metro community of Shoreview who are working with the Sierra Club North Star Chapter to make Shoreview a model community for its environmental practices. The group focuses on clean water, efficient resource use, and transportation issues. Learn more about …more…

Minnesota’s forests are vital to the state economy and environment. The Minnesota wood products industry provides employment to rural communities and serves markets throughout the world. As global trade in forest products grows, forest certification has emerged as a mechanism for consumers to identify wood products produced from sustainably managed …more…

Green laundry practices are good for the environment and for your wallet! Use cold water, wash only when clothes are dirty, line dry clothes year round, buy concentrated laundry detergent in refillable containers, use non-chlorine bleach, and purchase Energy Star appliances when possible. Check out our full list of green …more…

An average child will go through 8-10 diapers a day until the age of 30 months. That’s about 8,000 diapers, and a cost of about $2,500! A good set of 20 cloth diapers will cost an average of $350 and can be used for future children or even resold. Cloth …more…

Wait. Scratch that. Don’t make your own list of simple things you can do today to make a positive difference for the climate—use ours! This list offers 20 easy things you can do that will help you and your family lighten your load on the environment, keep more money in …more…

Many people do not realize that rain carries pollutants from our houses, yards, streets, sidewalks and parking lots to the nearest storm drain, leading directly to local lakes, streams and rivers. Rain gardens are designed to have a center depression to help rainwater seep into the soil. This infiltration helps …more…

We all want to do the best for our children, especially when it comes to protecting their health and the environment in which they live. Sometimes, knowing the most effective ways to do this can be confusing and challenging, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Consider starting …more…